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Analysis Of The Hero's Quest In Goodbye, Columbus By Sarah Shun-Lien

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The Hero’s quest is one of literatures greatest devices. It is the foundation that our myths and legends are built upon, allowing them to soar to even greater heights of imagination. Yet, in a world where Herakles no longer labors or Arthur’s knights no longer quest for treasures, where does the hero’s quest fit into more modern settings? In the novels that we have examined, two stand out as having addressed the hero’s journey and its place within our modern times. Goodbye, Columbus by Phillip Roth, and Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum both have protagonists that traverse various stages of the hero cycle in their own unique way.
The Hero cycle is characterized with twelve various stages that the hero must go through in order …show more content…

Hempel Chronicles, has partially done this near the beginning. By accepting the job to teach at the middle school. Ms. Hempel is entering into a new world that is both familiar, yet completely foreign to her. “She had chosen teaching because it seemed to offer both tremendous opportunities for leisure and satisfaction of doing something generous and worthwhile. Too late she realized her mistake” (Bynum, 11). This quote allows the readers to understand some of the motivations that pressured Ms. Hempel into the choice of her profession. It can be argued that many people choose teaching as a fall back profession that one can always rely upon when their main dreams and plans seem either unreachable or …show more content…

To the point that he allows himself to partially display his struggle in front of Neil, “There was goose flesh on Ron’s veiny arms… eyes were closed…Ron: he was still humming on his bed” (Roth, 105). Ron seems almost in a trance, as he knows what is going to happen the very next day. He allows himself to share the moment with Neil, seemingly letting him into a place that is dear to him. Thus allowing Neil and the rest of us to sympathize with the character even

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